Astros’ production on offense goes to waste, Diamondbacks cruise to win

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PHOENIX – Of all the nights to score easily their most runs since the All-Star break, the Astros picked this one. That’s a picture of life as a 34-60 team. When they score eight runs for the first time since June 23 and more than four for the first time since July 7, they’re still beaten handily.

Bud Norris allowed nine runs for the second time this year, getting knocked out in the fifth inning of a 13-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series at Chase Field.

The Astros dropped to 1-7 on this final National League West swing coming out of the All-Star break and have lost 17 of their last 19 games.

For the second start in a row, the walks were a major issue for Norris. Yes, he allowed six hits in 4 1/3 innings including an opposite-field home run to Justin Upton, but the walks were the killers.

“”I don’t know what to say,” Norris said. ”It wasn’t pretty.”

After Gerardo Parra started the fifth inning trying to boost Arizona’s 4-2 lead with a double, Norris retired Stephen Drew but then lost the zone. He walked Aaron Hill and Jason Kubel to load the bases and then issued his sixth walk of the day to Upton, driving in the run.

He appeared to grow frustrated after each one, and each would go against his run total, which tied a season-high for any Astros pitcher. He was removed from the game after a single by Miguel Montero and watched the last two runs score on hits against Enerio Del Rosario.

Norris has now walked 14 batters in his last three starts since coming off the disabled list after averaging just 2.1 walks per start before that.

“Just trying to get comfortable again after an injury and whatnot, you’re trying to fine-tune those mechanics,” Norris said. “I didn’t have that problem early in the year and unfortunately, that’s where I’m at right now.”

His effort and Arizona’s four-run seventh against Rhiner Cruz canceled out some pretty good developments and specifically a couple of nice debuts beyond the rare offensive spurt.

Ben Francisco and Francisco Cordero both arrived mid-game after being traded from the Blue Jays Friday morning as part of the 10-player deal that sent J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon and David Carpenter to Toronto.

Francisco singled as a pinch-hitter in the top of the eighth inning,

Elsewhere on the list of firsts, Carlos Corporan followed a hard double with no-doubt home run into right center field – the first longball of his career in his 165th at-bat.

Scott Moore added a three-run shot in the ninth as the Astros notched the same 14 hits as the Diamondbacks, but the walks proved to be the difference in a game that still finished with a big difference.